1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, particularly for use by pregnant women, which includes a mandrel for insertion into the vagina, the main function of the apparatus being to dilate muscular, tendinous and connective tissue in the pelvic floor (diaphragma pelvis) and the perineum so as to make these tissue structures more elastic with the purpose of reducing the frequency and the size of traumatic injuries during the actual childbirth, such as breaks and ruptures, and of reducing the number of surgical interventions (episiotomy). A secondary function is that the apparatus may moreover be used for retraining a flabby pelvic floor musculature, e.g., caused by childbirth, or for ordinary maintenance training, and may thus also contribute to contraction of the above-mentioned structures.
2. The Prior Art
A single apparatus of this type is known, viz. from EP 0 574 966 B1. T his apparatus, which has a purely mechanical action, includes a distendible mandrel for insertion into the vagina. The mandrel includes a plurality of elements which may be displaced radially from each other by means of a wedge effect or linkage in order to expand the pelvic floor. The apparatus has a relatively heavy and clumsy appearance, but provides excellent control when training expansion of the pelvic floor, e.g., for an imminent birth. The apparatus can give a measure of the expansion of the pelvic floor from time to time and protects against an unintentional too rapid expansion that may cause damage to the pelvic floor, as the user herself controls the expansion. The excellencies of the apparatus, however, are overshadowed by the circumstance that the apparatus is not very handy and convenient in use. Thus, the apparatus has the undesirable property that, when operated, it can rotate in the vagina.
The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above-mentioned type which is easier to use than the purely mechanically acting apparatus mentioned above.